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Patented Sept. 1, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JAMES V. RUSSELL, OF ELLENVILLE, NEWV YORK.

SLED.

.5PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,570, dated September 1, 1885.

Application filed January 5, 1885.

T0 all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES W. RUssnLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ellenville, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Sleds, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of boys sleds, and especially to those sleds having iron or steel runners, the objectof the invention being to construct the sled with the utmost possible lightness consistent with the requisite stiffness and strength and to render its manufacture as cheap as possible.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation of my improved sled in its preferred form. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof, partly in section, on the line 3 3 in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is an under side plan of the front brace removed, looking in the direction of arrow 4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, showing one of the cross-bars and its attachment. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a wooden sled constructed ac cording to my invention; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of one of the cross-bars thereof.

Let A designate the wooden board or seat, B B the runners, C O inclined front braces, and D D metal cross-bars. In Figs. 1 and 2 the runners B Bare formed of fiat metal bars, preferably steel, each fastened to the front of the board at (1, extending thence forward and upward to the front bend at b, thence down in a curve, 0, to the flat portion (1 of the runner, thence backward to the heel-bend e, thence up diagonally, forming an inclined brace, f, and its end fastened at g, beneath the board A. The ends a and g are fastened by bolts or rivets h and h passing through the board. There is nothing novel in this construction of metal runners.

The braces C O are made of similar metal bar, and extend downward from the under side of the board A at its front to the curved portions 0 c of the respective runners. They are inclined at about the same angle as the rear portions, ff, of the runners. Their up per ends are bent backward, and each is fastened to the board A by the same bolt (or rivet) h as is used to fasten the end a of the runner. This bolt thus passes through the end a on (No model.)

the top, the board A between and the end of the brace O beneath. The board is preferably strengthened by having cleats A A cemented across its under side where the bolts h h pass through it. The lower end of each brace C is bent forward and rests upon the runner, being fastened thereto by a rivet, i, (or equivalent fastening.) These braces serve to give the requisite stiffness to the runners to enable them to withstand the forward and upward shocks or strains in coasting.

To stiffen the runners laterally the crossbars D D are provided. In Figs. 1 and 2 three of these are shown. The first extends across between the portions 0 of the two runneis, near the bend Z), in about the position usually occupied by front cross-bars on sleds, as heretofore constructed. The second extends across between the two braces O O, and the third extends across between the rear inclin ed portions,f f, of the runners. These cross bars serve to hold the runners and braces inflexibly ata uniform distance apart, and thus, in connection with the firm fastenings for the ends of the runners and braces, impart to the runners great rigidity and strength. These cross-bars might consist of short pieces of flat bar similar to the braces 0, their ends perforated and riveted to the runners or braces, but such construction (which is the usual expedient adopted by mechanics for similar purposes) would be unduly heavy, expensive to put together, and clumsy in appearance. As an improvement upon such construction 'I havedevised the construction of cross-bars D D, (shown in the drawings,) which consists in employing stiff metal rod for the bars, bending both ends thereof short at right angles, inserting them through holes punched to fit them in the runners or braces and riveting down their ends, as best shown in Fig. 5. This makes a light, cheap, and remarkably strong connection. The strain on the cross-bars is in the direction of their length only, and has no tendency to pull out the rivets; and, furthermore, the portion of the rod passing through the hole is of the same diametcr as the rest of the rod, instead of being necessarily reduced in diameter to form a shoulder, as in similar constructions heretofore. This improved construction of crossbar contributes materially to the lightness and stiff ness of my improved sled, and renders it practicable to employ cross-bars forconnecting the braces O O and for connecting the portions ff of the runners.

Figs. 6 and 7 show this feature of my invention as applied to the ordinary wooden sled. A is the board; B, the wooden runners, faced with a steel strip, as usual; 0' 0 C the front, middle, and rear braces or legs, and D D D my improved cross-bars. The ends of these bars are turned down at right angles, passed through holes in the wooden runners and braces, and riveted down upon the metal facing of the runners, or, in the case of the braces G O 0, upon a metal washer, j, slipped over them. These cross-bars greatly improve and strengthen wooden sleds of this character.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a sled, the cross-bars D, constructed with ends turned at right angles, passed through holes in the runners or braces, and riveted down thereupon, thereby forming a light and strong bracing-connection, substantiall y as set forth.

2. A sled consisting of the combination of 25 board A, runners B B, their front ends fastened to the front of said board and their rear ends fastened to the rear portions thereof, and cross-bars D D, connecting them together at front and rear, substantially as set forth.

3. A sled consisting of the combination of board A, runners B B, their front ends fastened to said board, the diagonal braces G 0, their lower ends riveted to the runners and their upper ends fastened so said board, and 35 the cross-bar D, connecting said braces together and stiffening them against lateral strains, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing 0 witnesses.

JAMES WV. RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR O. FRASER, HENRY Oonnn'r'r. 

